The present invention relates generally to books and more particularly to a book comprised of, and bound by, a flexible and supportive material.
Reading materials in general and books specifically, have existed for thousands of years. New materials have been developed since the time of papyrus, and have been utilized in the construction and binding of reading materials. Books have traditionally been produced utilizing paper for the pages and thicker paper or cardboard for the covers. These materials can be extremely heavy, unwieldy, and in the case of children, can create the risk of injury due to lacerations and abrasions. Several patents have contemplated replacing these traditional materials with alternatives for both page and cover. U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,241 discloses a book construction technique in which the pages are constructed of cloth, and filled with plastic or rubber. While that patent discloses a book construction by surrounding soft rubber with a cloth material, a multitude of difficulties are presented. Cloth is a material with considerable limitations. These limitations are due in part from cloth""s limited durability. Cloth must be sewn into or printed onto in order to create suitable reading material. Additionally, the construction technique required to construct the above book, mandated the use of sewing needles and thread.
A children""s book comprised of foam leaves is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,909. While recognizing the benefits of foam construction, the ""909 patent contemplates the absence of a cover material in order to create a book that is washable, and that may be used in a bathing environment. Additionally, the ""909 patent contemplates the die cutting of foam parts from the leaves of the books as puzzle pieces. However, without additional support, foam is highly malleable and easily deformed due to changes in pressure or heat.
Therefore, a need exists in the art to provide a book suitable for small children which has pages constructed of a soft foam material, is bound with a flexible and supportive material, and is easily die cut.
The present invention relates generally to books and more particularly to foam materials and methods for binding.
These and other advantages of the present invention will be made more apparent with reference to the detailed description and the drawings provided herein.